The Chronicles of Faer'un
by Phantom 4 Life
Summary: The legendary Fire Warrior Faer'un joins an elite cadre on a mission to secure an ancient artifact. Watch as the Tau clash with the mad hordes of Chaos. Inspired by The Battlegrounds series and edited by TheLoneHunter. UPDATED!
1. Chapter 1

HEY OH

**Chronicles of Faer'un**

**Chapter One**

**(Edited and almost completely rewritten by TheLoneHunter)**

A single Fire Warrior glanced down the hill, his eyes surveying the advancing Chaos hordes with distaste. To think that these foul creatures could ever hope to destroy what he stood for, nay, what his entire _race _stood for. The _Tau'va_. The Greater Good.

His armor was black; black as the midnight sky, with dozens of white Tau symbols painted onto its surface. Each marked a separate victory, reminding all who looked upon him of his prowess in battle. Two customized pulse pistols hung from his belt, bearing the words _Wrath_ and _Fury_ upon one of each. On his back was strapped a standard pulse carbine, slightly less accurate than its counterpart the pulse rifle, but able to fire much faster in close-quarter situations.

Smiling to himself from within the confines of his helmet, the Tau soldier drew his carbine, shrugging off the leather strap that bound the weapon to his chest. A quick movement of his hand, and the pulse carbine hummed into life, its advanced rangefinder scope displaying a glowing indigo stream of symbols. Translated into Tau language, they specified that the weapon was loaded, the inhibitor deactivated, the scope set to magnify and lock approaching targets.

All was ready. The Fire Warrior raised his pulse carbine to the heavens, unleashing a single battle cry from his throat.

00000000

"FOR THE GREATER GOOD! ATTACK!"

Almost as soon as the words had left his mouth, they were echoed back by the thousands of Fire Warriors, battlesuits, and Kroot Carnivores standing at the ready behind the hill. A wave of battle fury seemed to spread its way through their ranks, and one by one, dozens by dozens, hundreds by hundreds, the warriors advanced, sweeping toward the army of the Night Lords.

Shas'ui Faer'un watched his forces charge forward, pride in his heart. He had been specifically chosen to lead the forces into battle because of his many years of combat experience. Already, the rank of Shas'vre had been offered to him more than once, but he had always declined.

He just didn't favor the idea of hiding in the belly of an armored walker. Even though his words were inspiring and his skill in combat was nearly unmatched, the Fire Warrior felt that he was not of the type to lead soldiers into battle. _Let the warriors wage war, and let the commanders command._

Faer'un pressed a hand against the side of his helmet, activating the touch-sensitive comm unit.

"Shas'o, the main battle has begun. You may commence your attack immediately."

"_Very good, Faer'un,"_ replied the voice of the Tau commander._ "Battlesuit teams are inbound to secure the temple."_

A rushing of air sounded over Faer'un's head as said Crisis teams rocketed through the sky, their plasma jets carrying them over the clashing troops on the battlefield below. Their mission was to secure a _gue'la_ temple, containing a powerful artifact inside. The Ethereals were interested in the possibilities for this artifact and so had sent Shas'O Sheo and his army of Tau and Kroot to this desolate world.

As the battlesuits disappeared into a towering column of smoke, Faer'un grimly strode forth into battle, pulling his carbine out and pressing his finger onto the weapon's trigger. The gun crackled in his hands, spitting shot after shot of blue pulse energy into the fray. The level of accuracy that he possessed was undisputed among his soldiers.

An explosion beside him disintegrated several unfortunate Fire Warriors where they stood, sending droplets of blue blood splattering against his armor. The Shas'ui grimaced and kept firing his carbine, taking down four cultists with a stream of shots, one at a time. A line of Hammerhead gunships hummed past him, unleashing their deadly arsenal of railgun particles and ion blasts into the Chaos army.

Further away, a shot from one of the mighty railguns struck a Defiler, blowing a gaping hole straight through the middle of its chassis and destroying the Chaos walker. A Kroot collapsed next to him, his life spilling from his destroyed neck in a gush of hot blood. A barrage of bolter shells shredded another Carnivore, each one blasting through its body and spraying red mist into the air. One of the Hammerheads was sent spinning into a Broadside battlesuit, crushing it beneath the bulk of the tank. The cockpit had been hit by a shell from one of the Chaos Predators, and now lay in pieces, smoking and useless, its pilots instantly killed in the explosion.

Three more of the enemy tanks rolled into view, their battlecannons unleashing a storm of deadly shells toward the entrenched Fire Warriors. Faer'un yelled into his communicator, switching his frequency to that of the Pathfinder team Sundered Vision.

"This is Shas'ui Faer'un! Mark order on central approach, enemy armor closing fast! Get those tanks lit up!"

"_Understood, Shas'ui. We have a team marking the targets now. Standby for Seeker barrage."_

Soon enough, a wave of missiles roared overhead, impacting against the armor of the tanks and sending pieces of shrapnel hurtling into the air.

While Faer'un was concentrating his attention on a pack of fleeing cultists, a horrifying Khorne Berserker emerged from the smoke, advancing straight toward him. The Shas'ui noticed his new opponent not a moment too soon, leaping backward as the Chaos warrior swung his weapon with a roar, nearly slicing the Fire Warrior in half from head to foot. Unfortunately his carbine was not nearly so lucky, as it was sliced in half by the roaring teeth of the chainaxe.

Faer'un felt a rush of excitement as he tightened his grip around his arm control, extending the short holdout blade from his mechanized arm gauntlet. A graceful and unconventional weapon, the Earth caste weaponsmiths had designed it specifically for his use, slightly borrowing the concept from the Cadre Elite warriors of Shas'o K'yos's renowned army, the _Saum'ka Uash'o_.

The Khorne Berserker charged again, bringing the axe slashing at Faer'un's head. What the enemy possessed in strength, it lacked in speed, allowing the quicker Tau to avoid the shattering blows being rained upon him by the monstrous Chaos warrior.

Finally, the veteran Shas'ui managed, miraculously, to land a blow on the Berserker's leg, driving his razor-sharp arm blade into a patch of flesh that had been exposed by the decay of the warrior's rust-covered greaves. Black blood squirted out as the creature howled in pain and brought its axe straight down on him, aiming to crush his head. Faer'un gracefully sidestepped the attack and tore the blade loose, severing his foe's hamstring in one single movement.

The warrior fell to its knees, its axe slipping from its fingers as the bloodlust drained from its tormented body. Through hate-laden eyes, it watched its alien enemy regain its footing, striding toward the Berserker and raising the strange blade on its arm.

The custom-forged weapon plunged through the vital gap between helm and chest armor, sinking into the flesh of the Khorne warrior's neck and spraying its blood onto Faer'un's visor. Retracting his blade into his gauntlet, he drew his precious pistols _Wrath_ and _Fury_ as his enemy fell dead, black liquid pooling on the grass.

Panting with exhaustion, Faer'un caught his breath, dizzy with fatigue. He had been fortunate, unbelievably fortunate, to have slain the Berserker, let alone survive its brutal assault. In all of his years as a Fire Warrior, he had never faced down one of their kind at close range, seeing as how a single one could rip its way through an entire squad of Shas'la. To kill one in a duel…that was certainly a rare and taxing accomplishment.

He had had the twin pistols crafted to his exact specifications by the Earth caste weaponsmiths on his homeworld. They were beautiful and ornate weapons that launched a single razor-edged disk, which was charged with plasma, much like the exotic shuriken catapults of the Eldar warriors. In fact, the workers had practically reverse-engineered a captured weapon from an Eldar prisoner, redesigning the new pistols to accommodate the grip of a Tau and infusing the new discs with tiny seeker drones.

Basically, Faer'un could now hit any target that he could see. The electronic sensors in each bladed disk would home in on their designated targets, slicing through all but the most sturdy of armor. Though the weapons were still in their experimental phase, they had proved to be a valuable asset to the Shas'ui, and the Tau army as a whole.

Raising the pistol, he squeezed off a single disk, watching as the whining blade tore through a cultist's chest, nearly decapitating him with a single pass. Two more rounds embedded themselves in the helm of a Chaos Space Marine, like miniature sawblades. Blinded and injured, the warrior stumbled to his knees, until a flurry of burstcannon fire ended his life forever.

A few yards away, a few Fire Teams had been set upon by the Defiler walkers, desperately firing their pulse rifles at the towering machines in an attempt to stop the massacre. One by one, the Tau were ripped apart by the metal claws of the Chaos vehicles, their armor proving next to useless against the Defilers' crushing grip.

In less than thirty seconds, four Fire Teams had been reduced to a handful of survivors, surrounded by pieces of their fallen comrades. Faer'un holstered his pistols, hurtling toward the slaughter without a second thought. He had no idea how he would possibly manage to destroy or even _slow_ the walkers' progress…

…until he spotted the body of a slain Krootox, its mighty back-mounted gun undamaged and still operational. Faer'un leaped onto the corpse's hide, his hooves sinking into the creature's dead flesh as he swiveled the turret towards the Defilers, forcing his hand through the complex Kroot firing mechanism and squeezing the trigger.

With a noise like a cannon blast, a two-foot-long shell exploded from the gun's barrel, traveling across the field and embedding itself in the Defiler's body. An explosion tore through the walker as one of its engines was ruptured, sending the machine crashing to the ground, its still-operational legs thrashing as it tried to right itself.

Faer'un's action had the desired effect on the other two walkers. Swiveling towards this new threat, they abandoned their current prey, allowing the surviving Fire Warriors to dash to safety.

Before the Defilers could open fire, a torrent of missiles ripped through them, annihilating the pair of walkers in a storm of fiery explosions. Barracuda fighters screamed overhead, so fast that the plumes of black smoke rising over the battlefield actually distorted before Faer'un's eyes. Chattering shots from the burstcannons of the aircraft sowed through the ranks of the Chaos infantry, causing destruction and panic among the cultists.

A battlesuit landed behind the Shas'ui with a crash, followed by four more of its kind. Clad in the armor of a Shas'o commander, Sheo was magnificent to all onlookers, a true leader of the Tau forces.

Removing his helmet, Faer'un leaped off of the Krootox and saluted the Shas'o, clapping his fist against his chest armor.

"_Ah, Faer'un,"_ Sheo remarked, looking over the veteran Shas'ui. _"It is good to see your skills have not yet waned."_

"I am glad of it as well, but I wish to know, when do we plan to advance on the temple?"

O'Sheo sighed. _"I am afraid we lack the sufficient force to challenge the Chaos army at the temple. We are to remain here and establish a temporary command post."_

"Why do we not simply bombard the enemy?"

"Some unknown energy interferes with the sensors of our drone scanners. We cannot pinpoint their exact location."

"I see." Faer'un nodded. "If you wish it so, I will volunteer to go alone and provide reconnaissance on the energy source."

Shas'O Sheo chuckled, his voice distorted by the battlesuit's audio projectors. _"Shas'ui, you never fail to impress me. First you are nearly slain in battle thrice, then you wish to risk your life once more? Very well, but stay cautious."_

Faer'un smiled and buckled his helmet back on. "I look forward to our next meeting, old friend."

"As do I, Ui'Faer'un."

With those last words, Faer'un strode off across the battlefield, toward the edge of the dark forest.

Three hours later…

There was no doubt about it, Faer'un was lost. Two hours had passed since he had entered the forest, and he had found nothing so far. The energy source had suddenly disappeared, vanishing as if the source had just ceased to exist.

With no way to tell where he was or what he was doing, Faer'un reached for his helmet's comm unit, ready to call in for retrieval. There was nothing here, nothing apart from miles upon miles of endless forest. The source must have just been an anomaly.

A rustling sound, from the bushes behind him. As the Shas'ui turned, he caught a glimpse of a curved blade, arcing through the air towards his head.

To be continued…

**A note from TheLoneHunter:** Yeah, I'm everywhere these days. Get used to it. I have a life apart from _Battlegrounds_, you know. Writer by day, beta-reader by night, you know the drill.

Now, _this _little piece of work by Phantom 4 Life was extremely tough to edit. Given that I practically rewrote the whole thing, I think I managed to make it at least _partially_ readable. Seriously though, it was a lot of fun to do. I even managed to make a Tau killing a Khorne Berserker plausible, even though in reality, the Berserker would just outright step on Faer'un, leaving nothing but a blue smear on his ceramite boot.

Again, I didn't really add anything new to the original storyline, I just edited and rewrote it half to death. So if you have any problems with the story, PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF THE EMPEROR, DON'T BLAME ME!

-TLH

**From Phantom 4 Life**: I gotta say TheLoneHunter helped me turn this from a piece of crap into a beautiful art piece. I bow to his almightiness. He deserves more credit on this than me. I am extremely honored that he made this not suck.


	2. Chapter 2

Chronicles of Faer'un

**Chronicles of Faer'un**

**Chapter 2**

**(Again, edited and practically rewritten by TheLoneHunter)**

**Phantom 4 Life: Lol**

The Shas'ui had only a few seconds to react before the blade reached him, its keen edges slicing through the forest air with a soft hissing noise. Throwing himself forward, Faer'un felt something collide with the side of his helmet, as the whirling blade sliced through his comm receiver, severing his only connection to the outside world. He leapt to his feet at the edge of the clearing, his eyes rolling in their sockets, searching for the unseen attacker.

With a cracking of branches and twigs, his foe emerged, a large Night Lord Marine clad in full ceramite plating. A single chainsword, caked with rust and dried blood, hung from its gauntlet, its engine sputtering softly as its wielder stepped toward its would-be alien victim.

Faer'un swore in Tau, berating himself. How could he have allowed such a large opponent to sneak up on him so easily? Extending his arm blade with a sharp _click_, the Shas'ui chose a standard Vior'la combat stance, suited for dealing with large, heavily armored enemies. The Night Lord stared at him through its horned helm and slowly began circling the Tau warrior, its armor creaking as it drew closer and closer, cautiously studying its opponent.

Both of the duelists were waiting to see who would make the first move. Finally, the Marine raised his sword, charging at Faer'un with a horrific roar. The chainsword swung in an arc, embedding itself in the trunk of the tree beside where the Shas'ui's head had been just two seconds earlier. If he had hesitated, the blow would have instantly decapitated him.

The Fire Warrior ducked and rolled forward underneath his towering opponent, thrusting his blade straight upwards. A clash of metal on metal sounded, and the weapon glanced off, deflected by the Marine's ceramite armor. Faer'un leapt upright as the Night Lord warrior wrenched his trapped chainsword out of the tree trunk with a mighty heave, swiveling to face the Tau.

With a single motion, Faer'un drew _Fury_ from his belt, squeezing off four shots at point-blank range. Even with the protection of its reinforced armor plating, the Marine simply had no chance of surviving the attack.

The drone-guided blades struck home, packing so much force that several of them actually passed through their target's helm, lodging in its brain with a noise like a knife slicing through a side of meat. The Marine collapsed to the forest floor in death, its body no longer receiving orders from its destroyed brain.

Faer'un sighed in relief. He had already fought a Berserker earlier, nearly losing his life in the process. The Marine was weaker, but still powerful enough to overwhelm him if it had managed to actually engage him in true combat.

Stopping his musings to run a quick systems diagnostics, the Shas'ui discovered that his communicator had been severely damaged, if 'severely damaged' meant 'sliced off at the base by a blade moving at speeds nearly too fast for the eye to follow'. This basically meant that he was stuck out in the middle of the forest, without any way of contacting Shas'O Sheo.

An ancient and commonly used _gue'la_ curse materialized in his head, exploding from his mouth as he realized the futility of his current situation.

"SON OF A BITCH!"

Five minutes passed as profanity after profanity, each one worse than the last, were hurled into the air by the furious Tau, causing several flocks of birds to take to the sky in fright. By the time Faer'un had calmed down enough to take note of his surroundings, the sun had dipped below the horizon, heralding the coming of nightfall.

Reality struck him like a shell from a boltgun. He would have to find some form of shelter if he wanted to escape from this woodland. After a few minutes of searching around, the Shas'ui discovered a small overhanging rock, sturdy enough to serve as a suitable resting place for the night. Years of military training and service had reset his mind's inner clock, requiring him to sleep only a few decs every day.

Closing his eyes, the Fire Warrior was soon fast asleep, surrounded on all sides by darkness.

_He was running, feeling tendrils of fear tightening around his heart. Dark shapes crashed through the bushes behind him, inhuman commands were shouted from the throats of his pursuers. He felt smaller and lighter, his movements more dexterous, able to dash gracefully through the forest, much faster than the…_

_His feet suddenly slipped on a rock, and he was flying forward, striking the ground face first and crashing into several more of the large stones._

_He raised his hands in front of his face, noticing the dark blood that was running down his skin, trickling over his armor. For some reason, he possessed five digits on each hand, rather than the four fingers of a Tau. The skin of his hands was a light tan color, almost white, his fingers slender and deft. Looking down, he realized that he was clad in strange alien armor, unmistakably crafted to fit the figure of a female Eldar._

_His confused thoughts were distracted by a loud thumping noise, as four of the Night Lords Marines stepped forward out of the shadows, surrounding him on all sides and fencing him in. With nowhere to run, he was at their mercy, trapped in the body of some Eldar woman._

_He felt no fear anymore, only a strangely calming sense of acceptance._

Faer'un woke with a start, his head colliding with the top of the overhang.The Shas'ui cursed, rubbing his throbbing skull with the palm of his hand. He had had the strangest dream, and he was unsure what to make of it. He stepped out of the cave and into a narrow clearing, brushing aside a few large leaves and branches.

This was his favorite time of the night, when it so dark he couldn't see his hand in front of his eyes. The pitch-blackness fit well with his armor's coloring, and he felt the most comfortable in the dark. He enabled his blacksun filter with a flick of his hand and began walking through the heavily wooded forest, silently shouldering through bunches of various flora.

He came upon a rocky outcropping, overlooking a dried up riverbed. Down in the riverbed he could make out several figures gathered around a prone body, four Chaos Marines…and a frail, slender armored figure, the Eldar woman from his dream. Had he witnessed her future, or the present, as seen through her eyes?

He had to make a decision. Leave the female to a fate worse than death, or save her from the wrath of the Night Lords. The Tau respected the Eldar people, but had come into conflict with them before, as demonstrated by the brief conflict on Tera'mar IX, nine months prior to the recent Gereziad Campaign. On the other hand, if he saved this Eldar woman, it could possibly be the first step in a possible alliance with the aliens' forces. The Cadres would need all the help they could get if they planned to assault the temple.

Making up his mind he pulled out _Fury_ and _Wrath_, emerging from cover and firing off shot after shot from the customized pulse pistols. The discs sliced through the air, lacerating one of the Chaos Marines where he stood and sending him to the ground, his blood spilling from his body as if from a spigot. Instantly, the other Night Lords raised their bolters toward his position, opening fire with a lethal barrage of deuterium shells.

A single bolt round struck the tree next to Faer'un's position, propelling a three-inch-long splinter of wood into the flesh of his arm. Biting back a cry of pain, he squeezed off a string of shaky disc-shots at the enemy, feverishly hoping that at least a few would find their targets. Another Marine collapsed; his throat slashed wide open by the razor-sharp projectiles.

With half of their squad depleted, the Night Lords decided that it would be best to retreat and inform their brothers of the situation in the woodlands. If the Eldar and the Tau were fighting alongside each other, then the war could take a sudden and devastating turn against the forces of Chaos.

Faer'un watched the warriors leave, grimacing as he stepped toward the fallen Eldar female, wrenching the splinter out of his shoulder with a grunt of pain.

_That was impressive, young one._

The thought seemed to force its way into his mind, startling him. Looking around, he found that the Eldar woman was not unconscious but was, in fact, staring up at him, her eyes narrowed with interest. She seemed grateful, yet wary, as if she expected him to attempt to kill her where she lay.

A second thought entered Faer'un's mind, but this time, he did not resist. He meant no harm to the alien, and he decided that he might as well see what she had to say to him.

_I am Farseer Haela,_ the female Eldar explained, closing her eyes, her head sinking into a respectful bow.


	3. Chapter 3

Chronicles of Faer'un

**Chronicles of Faer'un**

**Chapter 3**

**(ONCE AGAIN, edited and almost completely rewritten by TheLoneHunter)**

_I am Farseer Halea_.

The smooth, almost musical voice had a soothing effect on the Shas'ui's mind. It was calming, soft, and all within his head, projected by the wounded female Farseer lying on the mossy ground in front of him. Could it be a trick? Was she merely feigning her injuries? Were there more of her kind? A stream of questions that had no answers raced through him like bolts of electricity.

Faer'un was unsure of what to do now. Raising _Wrath _and _Fury_, he cautiously advanced towards the Eldar, warily watching her every movement. The alien could have been plotting an ambush, luring him to her position with her mind-images that she had forced into his dreams. She spoke, or rather, _thought_-spoke the Tau language fluently; was it possible that she had encountered his race before?

Quickly making up his mind, he lowered the twin pistols and answered her.

"I am Shas'ui Faer'un of O'Sheo's Fire Caste Command. You shall know me as Blackfyre."

The Farseer nodded in feigned understanding, still unsure of her savior's intentions. _As you wish, Blackfyre. Tell me what you plan to do with me._

"There lies an allied command post not far from here," explained Faer'un, carefully studying the alien's every expression. We shall move there immediately. Once we have arrived, our Command's leaders will offer you a chance to join us in the fight to spread the Greater Good, or else, you will be given safe transport to your Eldar brethren."

The Shas'ui carefully observed her reaction to this news. The Eldar woman didn't seem to be surprised or happy, merely thoughtful. From the tales he had heard of the _Saum'ka Uash'o_'s struggle against the aliens during the earlier Ter'amar IX conflict, they were merciless beings, filled with treachery and arrogance, cruel and spiteful creatures that lived for trickery and witchcraft.

Perhaps the Vior'la warriors had been wrong. _After all, they had also assumed that the Imperials on Gereziad would surrender without a fight._ Turning his attention back to the Eldar, he waited patiently for her reply.

Finally, she nodded in agreement. _Very well, Faer'un Blackfyre. I shall travel with you._

"My name is only Blackfyre," corrected Faer'un. "There remain…certain complications…which shall make our journey more difficult…" He paused, visibly embarrassed. Even though his face was obscured beneath his helmet, a definite tone of shame was present in his voice.

_Complications?_ Halea asked, raising a thin eyebrow.

Faer'un tapped his destroyed comm unit with his finger. "The trickery of a Chaos warrior. I lack the means to contact my superiors."

The Shas'ui was expecting scorn or anger from the female, but instead, the Farseer began to laugh, a musical, fluid sound. He felt himself burn with shame at remembering his earlier mistake, which was now made worse by the Eldar's laughter.

"We must find shelter soon," he grunted, turning away from her. "Can you walk?"

As Halea attempted to stand, her leg gave out suddenly, sending her toppling unceremoniously onto her back. Faer'un held back an amused smirk as he walked over to the Farseer, looking down at her prone form through his helmet optics.

"I had heard of Eldar pride before," he chuckled. "But this…this is ridiculous." Hauling her upright, he threw her slender arm over his opposite shoulder armor, steadying her upright just as the standard combat-injury training courses had instructed him to do.

She didn't seem startled by his actions, nor did she resist. The Fire Warrior was surprised by how light the Eldar was, or how quickly she managed to walk, even though her injuries would have felled a lesser woman. The next two hours passed uneventfully, with neither of them uttering a single word to each other.

Soon enough, after stalking through the woods for nearly another hour, the duo came upon a small cave hidden by a group of thick bushes. Wading through the thick foliage, Faer'un stepped into the cave and placed the Eldar woman gently on the ground, taking care not to cause her any more pain.

He set down his pack beside her, rummaging through it until he found a small coil-plasma heater. The survival device was used by Pathfinder teams to keep warm at night or in arctic weather, and had first been used by units operating during the Second Sphere Expansion. When the Third Sphere and the Dark Crusade began, the Earth caste craftsmen had upgraded the heater, installing microscopic fiber-coils within the standard armor of Pathfinders and Fire Warriors.

Flipping a series of switches, the Shas'ui activated the heater. It emanated a soft bluish glow, and warmed the air around it. Soon, the cave might have been heated by a fire, had it not been for the lack of flames or the absence of smoke.

Faer'un unclipped his helmet and set it down on the ground, turning to face Halea. "I must see to your wounds, Eldar."

The Farseer shook her head. _Your concern is touching, Blackfyre, but the wounds shall heal in due time. Treatment is unnecessary._

"I am sorry, Farseer, but I must insist that you allow me to see to your wounds," Faer'un insisted.

Seeing that there was no way to deter him, Halea nodded her consent. The Fire Warrior rummaged through his pack and produced a small vial of clear liquid, standard artificial cauterizer serum. He then proceeded to pour it over her wounds, preparing to hold her steady as she felt the burning pain lance through her like heated knives. She did not whimper, or even wince once, maintaining her calm demeanor as the liquid sealed off the injuries, evaporating into a puff of white steam as it was expelled from her rapidly healing body.

_Crude,_ commented Halea, touching a former cut on her belly. _Efficient, nonetheless._ She turned her attention to Faer'un, glancing at his injured shoulder with concern. _I see you have a wound as well._

"It is nothing worth treating," he answered, shrugging off the comment. He had recieved much worse wounds in his lifetime of warfare.

_I must insist that you treat it,_ Halea replied, her eyes twinkling with something that looked like mirth.

"Very well, Farseer," Faer'un answered reluctantly, tipping the vial toward his shoulder.

Several painful minutes later…

"We should both get some rest, Farseer," declared Faer'un as he leaned his head against the mossy cave wall. Halea simply nodded, her eyes staring blankly out the cave's mouth. The night was quiet and still, the stars few in number.

Soon enough, Faer'un had drifted off into a peaceful slumber, undisturbed by any strange visions of fleeing Eldar women. His eyes slid shut, his brain shutting itself down after staying awake after nearly a full rotaa of troubled sleep. The Shas'ui's military training had rewarded him with the ability to gain the benefits of a full night's rest in merely two dec's time, if he wished.

Halea moved to sit outside the cave. She studied the night sky, counting the ocean of stars as she searched for the bright speck of light that was her Craftworld. It was a vain effort, Halea knew that much. The Farseer had come to this planet on a whim, after receiving a terrifying vision.

Guilt racked her mind as she remembered the dead Eldar warriors who had once served as her personal guard, until death claimed them for itself. Their bodies were now carelessly strewn about the temple, lying broken and defeated, crushed beneath the power of the dark ones, the worshippers of Chaos. Her people were passionate in whatever they did, and she could not be faulted for her actions, but the knowledge still did not comfort her.

Halea and her guard had been taken by surprise by an attack from a Chaos sorcerer, which had nearly left her slain. She had been able to halt the killing blow, but she had still been wounded and several of her guard had been killed in the assault. The rest were vanquished by the unending tide of Chaos Marines, pouring forth from the shadows, their insane laughter ringing in her ears…

She felt a stab of misery as she stared up into the night sky. Far away, her people could be searching the stars for her, wondering what had become of the Farseer. And now that she was in the company of the Tau…well, events could quickly change for either the better or the worse.

_**Six hours later…**_

Faer'un awoke from his peaceful slumber, finding himself in the middle of the gloomy cave. He stood upright, brushing dirt off of his armor, and turned off the plasma heater with a flip of a switch. Stowing the device in his pack, he glanced around the cave, searching for the Eldar woman. The Shas'ui realized at that precise moment that the Farseer was gone, vanished from the cave like smoke on the breeze. Cursing, he stalked out of the cave with _Wrath_ in hand, expecting to find either more of her kind or a group of Night Lords awaiting him.

What greeted his eyes stunned him. Instead of an ambush, he found the Eldar seated cross-legged in the middle of the clearing, meditating with her eyes closed. Holstering _Wrath_,he padded forward lightly, his hooves gently sinking into the soft moss covering the ground.

She was blindingly beautiful in the moonlight. Her flawless porcelain skin seemed to shine with an ethereal glow, and her smooth features appeared to radiate perfection. Her slender body gave off an aura of grace and elegance, but also showed a certain frailty, like a sculpture of glass. He felt his breath catch in his throat for a second, but shook it off.

_Greetings, Blackfyre, warrior of the Tau, _Halea said, as though sensing his presence.

"Greetings, Farseer," Faer'un replied, shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other.

_Do I make you uncomfortable, Blackfyre?_ she asked, turning to face him, her twin almond-shaped eyes staring out from the pale skin of her face.

"It is just…so strange, stranded in the depths of the woods, accompanied by an Eldar such as yourself."

Halea studied him for a second, and replied, _Yes, I suppose it is. Our races are so similar in our objectives, yet we remain two worlds apart on the exterior._

"We…we should move out shortly," muttered Faer'un, hiding his expression from her prying gaze. "Are you able to walk alone?"

The Farseer simply nodded and closed her eyes again. A few minutes later, the Shas'ui emerged from the mouth of the cave, fully suited and ready for another long nighttime journey. Beckoning Halea to follow him, he began wading through the thick foliage, with the Eldar woman close behind him.

After a few minutes of walking, they came upon a clear area of forest, covered in soft grass and small pebbles. Faer'un could barely make out several voices coming from its center, hushed and low, speaking in the tongue of the _gue'la_. The shadowy forms of a group of cultists came into view, surrounding a single Word Bearer Chaos Marine in full armor. An altar stood at the center of the clearing, with four torches attached to its sides. The light of the flickering fires revealed the body of a Kroot Carnivore lying limply on top of the stone table, blood still pooling from its neck. As Faer'un watched in horror, he noticed something further; a pile of corpses, both Fire Warrior and Kroot, stacked like pieces of firewood next to the altar.

The Shas'ui felt a hot, white rage boiling inside him at the sight of his fallen brethren. Reaching for his twin pistols, he clenched his fingers around their handles, pulling _Wrath_ and _Fury_ free of their confining holsters. He still had enough shots left in each clip to kill the _gue'la_ scum. Every last one of them.

_No, Blackfyre, _Halea warned him urgently. _You know not what you do. _

"Yes…I do."

With those final words, Faer'un raised out his pistols and squeezed both triggers at the same time, spitting twin blades across the field and into the chest and abdomen of the nearest cultist. A horrid choking cry rang out as the man fell dead, his torso lacerated by the razor-sharp edges of the projectiles.

Faer'un's attack did not go unanswered. Instantly, the air came to life with the crackle of laspistol shots as the cultists poured fire back at their unseen attacker. Bolter shells impacted on the trees around him, fired by the larger Marine, who, he was most certain, possessed genetically enhanced night vision built into the visor of his horned helm.

The Fire Warrior rolled to the side as a barrage of explosive shells struck the ground where he had just been standing a few seconds ago. Another shot from _Fury_, and a second cultist fell, the deadly Tau blade lodged in his jugular.

Faer'un squeezed the triggers again and again, trying to destroy the Marine by any means possible. He had no intention of engaging another of the mighty soldiers in close combat again. Though the warrior was a large target and the drone-guided blades were extremely accurate, the shots seemed to curve around it, as the projectiles sought out a different target each, ignoring the hulking Chaos Marine entirely.

Something brushed past him, and he felt light robes whip across his face.

"Halea! No!" he yelled as the Eldar sped across the clearing, light-footed and swift as a bird in flight, a curved and exotic jeweled knife clutched in her slender fingers. Crossing the space between her and the enemy Marine in less than two seconds, she leapt into the air, grasping the warrior's shoulder pad with one hand and whirling around its back in a blur of color.

The knife flashed once, twice, thrice, four times! With a light grunt of exertion, the Farseer leapt off of her victim into a graceful somersault, black blood dripping from her weapon's blade onto the grass. She landed catlike on her feet, a feral snarl escaping from her mouth as she rose back to a standing position, her knife held at the ready.

Not a sound came from the Marine's mouth as it collapsed in a heap of flesh and ceramite, its throat bearing four deep lacerations from the Eldar's swift attack.

Faer'un was speechless. Only three decs ago, Halea had been unable to stand unaided. _She could yet prove to be a valuable ally,_ he thought, as he clenched his right fist, feeling his custom armblade slide out of the groove in his gauntlet.

_I shall take this one,_ the Farseer spoke in his mind, twirling the knife in her hand as one of the cultists charged her with a yell. _I wonder, what skills do the warriors of the Tau possess?_

_You have seen nothing, Eldar, _thought the Shas'ui with a grin, rushing the nearest cultist as it raised its wicked knife to counter his blow. Though he lacked the strength to counter a full-sized sword attack, knives proved to be easier to block and parry. Thrusting forward with his gauntlet, Faer'un drove the tip of the metal blade through the middle of the man's forehead, withdrawing it before his enemy could realize that he was dead. For good measure, the Fire Warrior drew his arm back and swept it across the cultist's neck, parting his head from his body.

Halea seemed to slow in mid-leap as she whirled toward her victim like a dervish, her elegant knife singing as it sliced through the air with a whining noise. Unable to block the force of the Eldar's attack, the cultist dove to the side, abandoning his weapon as he scrambled for safety. A shot from _Wrath_ took him through the base of his skull, stopping his progress for good.

But he had not been the target of the airborne Farseer. The last cultist seemed to cough once, looked confusedly at his chest, and slumped to the ground, the thrown Eldar knife buried in him, all the way up to its jewel-encrusted handle.

Retracting his blade, Faer'un let his two pistols fall to the ground as he moved slowly toward the altar, as if he were a sleepwalker. Unconsciously, he picked up one of the dead Tau's pulse carbines, sliding it into his back strap without even checking the weapon. As Halea watched from afar, crouched over the body of her slain victim, the Shas'ui placed his hand on the dead Kroot's face, sliding the alien's clouded eyes shut with his fingers.

_They deserved better than this…they deserved someone better than me…_

He let out a cry of anguish at the sight of his fellow warriors to be desecrated so. It was one thing to fall in battle but this _atrocity _was beyond his darkest nightmares, beyond any act he could have imagined Chaos performing on their victims.

Resolving to burn their bodies as a final gesture, he began to roll the dead Carnivore off the altar. With a muffled ripping noise, the creature came free of the stone surface, revealing the horrifying truth of the cultists' intentions. Faer'un nearly retched as he looked upon the face of the altar, bristling with dozens of tiny, shriveled, puckering, fleshy mouths…

Almost all of the Kroot's back had been picked clean of flesh.

Two hours later…

Feeling that they deserved better than the tainted ground of the altar, Faer'un carried each of the nine Tau and Kroot bodies to a small rocky cliff, one at a time. He set to work covering them with brush and branches, making sure that they were completely obscured from view by the dry foliage. Touching the superheated power cell of _Fury_ to the makeshift pyre, he watched as the orange flames quickly consumed the bodies of the dead, lighting up the patch of forest in a soft flickering glow.

Halea watched the ritual blankly, her eyes expressionless.

_Blackfyre,_ she consoled the Shas'ui,_ there was nothing that could have been done to save them._

"Yes, there was. I could have reached them sooner!" snapped Faer'un, striking his fist against the trunk of a tree. "Their deaths were of my causing!"

_The hands of fate have spelled their destinies. You cannot change what has gone before._

"I apologize, Farseer," replied the Fire Warrior, his voice trembling with sorrow. "I…I sometimes believe I cannot stand this existence any longer. I have seen…terrible acts committed…young Shas'la's lives ripped away before my very eyes…the atrocities of war, committed by both sides. Even the…even the Tau…my race…they…"

Faer'un grew silent, the images of bygone days flashing in his mind, of the cruelty of war, and the sadness and grief that came with every battle.

_Life is not as cruel as you make it sound. _Halea whispered gently as she stepped up beside him, laying her hand on his shoulder._ Happiness can be found everywhere._

Faer'un brushed her away, placing his black helmet over his head.

"No," he replied softly. "In the life of a warrior, happiness does not exist."

End of Chapter Three

**A note from TheLoneHunter:** A…Tau? With…an Eldar? No! NO! NOOOOOOO!! WHY?!

Ahem, seriously, 'tis most grand a thing to write about, a warrior's love for a member of a completely different race…oh, who am I fooling? Phantom 4 Life, if you include any inter-species 'action' in later chapters, I will personally pull an M. Night Shyamalan on you!

-TLH

M. Night Shyamalan (noun): Stemming from an event which transpired during an early segment of _Battlegrounds II_, 'to pull an M. Night Shyamalan' means for TLH to whip out a pulse pistol and shoot the offender in the head, most likely killing him/her. See _Battlegrounds II: The Canticar Crusade_ for details.

Start using that phrase more often, people. Who knows, it might even become the next big internet meme.

**Phantom 4 Life**: Hunter there is no need to worry. I won't be writing any lemons in this story cause they always seems to leave a bitter taste in my mouth. lol


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Please R&R**

**(For the fourth time in a row, edited by TheLoneHunter)**

Faer'un looked to the west as the dawn light came streaking over the craggy mountain peaks. Fastening his helmet strap under his chin, the Fire Warrior's gaze drifted toward the figure of Farseer Halea sitting on a flat rock a meter away from him. She was as silent and unmoving as the stones which surrounded her seated form.

The Shas'ui could never really tell when she was meditating or not. Halea was a complete mystery to him, being from a separate race and possessing different customs and values. Faer'un had never met one of the Eldar in his lifetime, never truly _spoken_ to one, as he had done with the Farseer. He had fought them in combat before, but decapitating a Warp Spider didn't exactly qualify as a meeting.

Standing up, he lightly tapped Halea on the shoulder. "We should leave, Farseer."

She simply nodded in response and, in one fluid motion, had risen to her feet. _Let us not delay any further. _

Faer'un hefted his newfound pulse carbine, quickly checking the weapon's clip to make certain that it was functional. Finding no problems other than a slightly chipped surface, the Fire Warrior set off, plowing through the thick underbrush while Halea followed suit, her flowing robes gliding across the ground as she kept pace behind her companion.

The unlikely duo silently strode through the forest, taking care not to cause any recognizable noises that might alert any Chaos forces in the area.

_Do not answer my words, Shas'ui,_ Halea cautioned Faer'un through his thoughts. _Your young race does not yet understand the complexities of the Warp, and therefore cannot converse without speaking. I shall tell you of my people, and their purpose in this existence._

Faer'un paused, turning to the Farseer as he stepped through a clump of fern-like vegetation. Holding up his hand as if to say _Wait,_ the Fire Warrior listened closely to the sounds echoing through the trees around them. The rustling of the wind through the leaves, the songs of birds in the dawn air…and the faint roar of an approaching vehicle, or rather, _several_ approaching vehicles.

Pressing himself against a tree, Faer'un pulled out his pulse carbine, switching on its electronic sight and motioning to Halea to find cover. The rumbling was getting closer now, accompanied by a loud sawing sound. Roaring through the trees, a bike squadron of eleven Chaos Marines appeared, skidding to a halt just ten meters from Faer'un's hiding place. From the sound of their talking and the way they were arguing, he guessed they were looking for something. The Fire Warrior was almost certain that the 'something' referred to him and Halea.

After about five to ten minutes, nine of the riders gunned their engines and sped away in different directions, cutting through the forest while the last two remained behind. Kicking down their stands, the two Night Lords climbed off and pulled out their bolters, quickly sweeping the trees for signs of movement. When they were certain that the area was clear, one of the Marines then stepped to his bike, withdrawing a small sphere from the rear of the vehicle.

The pair of Astartes set about assembling a sort of beacon-like device, piecing it together with a variety of tools from the other bike's storage rack. Faer'un decided it would be best to go around them. After all, he didn't want to alert the other Marines to their presence. At least, that was what he _had_ planned.

Farseer Halea, however, seemed to possess other ideas. A ball of white energy flew past the Shas'ui's head, smashing into the chestplate of one the Marines and incinerating him in a plume of ash. The other Night Lord instantly dove for cover, rolling behind his bike and aiming his weapon out toward the source of the blast which had just killed his comrade.

Faer'un gritted his teeth as the Marine opened fire, sending a stream of bolt rounds splintering through the trees around him. Bits of wood and shredded leaves rained down from above, propelled into the air by the explosive rounds. Leaping out from his cover, the Shas'ui raised his pulse carbine and pulled the trigger, running headlong for the safety of another tree as the energy shots rebounded off the attack bike, leaving the Chaos warrior unharmed.

Another volley of bolter fire slammed into the tree, nearly obliterating the trunk where it stood in a burst of fire and wood shards. Faer'un waited until the pounding in his ears had subsided, then leaned out from behind his cover, sweeping the forest with his visor optics.

The Marine was still crouched behind his bike, obviously attempting to contact his squadmates through their vox-links. The Fire Warrior knew that if his foe managed to send a distress signal, the woods would come alive with nine more bikes in less than five minutes. He had to act now.

Before his hand could close around the photon grenade at his belt, another energy blast streaked through the trees, impacting against the metal surface of the Marine's vehicle.

The bike exploded instantly, sending shrapnel and streams of fire in every direction. Cursing under his breath, Faer'un whirled around towards Halea. As he turned, she strode past him, her expression calm, her stance relaxed.

"_Get down!"_ hissed the Fire Warrior, motioning wildly to his Eldar companion. _"The other one could still…"_

As if the event had been written out by some sick playwright, the second bike exploded into flames, its fuel and ammunition reserves ignited by the first blast. To make matters even worse, the flaming wreck that had once been a vehicle keeled over onto its side, crushing the beacon beneath it and sending a thunderous detonation echoing through the trees.

Faer'un sighed inwardly. _In the name of the Ethereals, why must this happen, _he thought to himself. As the Shas'ui stalked out towards Halea, the familiar rumbling of more vehicles reached his ears. Whirling toward the noise, he caught sight of three Marine bikes speeding towards them, their weapons armed and aimed straight at the Farseer.

Halea raised her hand, flinging a bolt of energy at the squadron and striking the lead bike on its front wheel. The powerful blast carried on through the entirety of the vehicle, cleaving the entire bike in half and obliterating its rider in a burst of blinding white flames. The remains of the bike skidded off into the distance, finally smashing into a tree and coating the surrounding vegetation in burning fuel.

As the explosion resounded across the glade, the Farseer turned her attention to the other bikes, but was caught off guard as the twin riders sped past her, one of whom had swung his chainsword at Halea's head. Her reflexes quick as lightning, she leapt nimbly away from the roaring blade, sustaining only a minor cut on her arm as the bikes roared away.

She stumbled forward in shock, raising her hand to attack the offending bike as it swerved around towards her, while the other raced toward where Faer'un had suddenly broken from cover. The Fire Warrior only had a few seconds to act before he would be crushed by the oncoming bike or ripped in half by its rider's chainsword. Quickly making up his mind, he stepped sideways, unsheathing his armblade and ramming it through the chassis of the speeding vehicle.

Faer'un was instantly dragged off of his feet by the sudden acceleration, connected to the bike only by the metal blade protruding from its framework. Branches and leaves smashed against his armor as he was carried forward by the vehicle's speed, making it nearly impossible for him to move.

As the driver swerved around and around, trying to shake his unwanted passenger, Faer'un grasped a length of pipeline with his free hand, wrenching the armblade clear of the chassis and plunging the weapon through the fuel tanks attached to the underside of the bike. A sudden gush of liquid sprayed into his face, blinding the Fire Warrior as the tanks drained of their contents, spattering the undergrowth with shining drops of fuel. In addition to severing the fuel line, he had also damaged the brake-fluid reserves contained in the bike, as the unfortunate Marine realized too late.

Flinging himself away from his temporary ride, Faer'un was carried forward by centrifugal force, plowing into the mossy ground and rolling over and over until at last, he came to rest in a bed of fern-like bushes. The Chaos Marine was not so lucky, as his bike skidded out of control, smashing headlong into a large forest rock with enough force to break off a piece of stone the size of a Dreadnought's fist. The bike did not explode, but simply crumpled up like a tin can, flinging its rider over the handlebars and straight into the surface of the rock.

Though the Marine had been fitted with some of the finest protection provided to the Night Lords, made of hardened ceramite and reinforced with plasteel supports on the outside, only the hardiest suits of armor could have withstood an impact with a solid boulder at close to fifty miles per hour. Needless to say, the Astartes was killed on impact, his neck and spine shattered instantly.

Faer'un slowly limped back to the glade, just in time to see Halea finishing off the last biker with a swift burst of white flame to the side of his vehicle. The Marine was thrown through the air by the blast, striking the ground hard several meters away from the Fire Warrior. He struggled forward, examining their attacker through his optics.

The Night Lord lay dying on the ground, his left leg a bloody ruin from the knee down and his right forearm missing, torn away by the explosion. The top half of a piece of piping was lodged in the Marine's throat, having plunged straight up and through his neck by the force of Halea's attack.

The helmet had been knocked away, allowing Faer'un to look upon the face of the Chaos Astartes for the first time. The Marine's flesh was pale and scarred, bearing a sickly hue to its color. Pursing his lips, the warrior attempted a final gesture of hatred toward the Tau, spitting a glob of black blood up at him. It fell short, splashing into the grass at Faer'un's feet.

Feeling no pity for the beast before him, Faer'un raised his hoof and stepped on the piping lodged in the Marine's throat. A gurgling croak sounded once, then all was silent. The light began to fade from the dying warrior's eyes, leaving them a dull lifeless black, as black as the Fire Warrior's armor.

Feeling nothing but frustration in his heart, the Shas'ui slowly turned toward Farseer Halea, his expression concealed behind his helmet. If the Eldar had been able to look past the metal, she would have witnessed something close to unbridled anger across the face of the Tau.

Taking a step forward, Faer'un decided that there was no point in delaying.

"DO YOU REALIZE WHAT YOU HAVE DONE?" he roared, pointing to the smoking ruins of the wrecked bikes.

Halea only stared at him calmly. _I am sorry. I seemed to have lost myself to rage for a moment. It was merely a lapse in judgment_…

"A LAPSE IN JUDGEMENT? YOU COULD HAVE KILLED US BOTH! NOW THE ENTIRE LEGION KNOWS WE ARE HERE!"

Halea was about to respond, when her eyes suddenly widened in fear. Raising her hand, she pointed behind the Shas'ui, who immediately whirled around to follow her gaze.

Faer'un found himself staring directly into the barrel of a gun.

End of Chapter Four

**A note from TLH:** I believe (and this is just between you and me, FF readers) that this story deserves just a _few_ more reviews, don't you think? Well, it's your choice, but it might help Phantom 4 Life become a better writer (and ease the workload I get burdened with every chapter) No offense, P4L. Only joking, of course.

-TLH


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**(Please R&R)**

**(Edited by TheLoneHunter)**

"Greyskinz?" the thing grunted in amusement, a snorting laugh escaping from between its tusked jaws. "'Ere? Firs', dose Chaos boyz, now dere's grey weaklin's 'n Eldar 'ere?"

Faer'un drew a single, slow breath. His mind quickly registered the hulking image of an monstrous green-skinned creature, clutching a rust-covered gun in its misshapen hand, the kind that others of its species referred to as a 'slugga'.

The Shas'ui could not help feeling just a little annoyed with himself. An…_Ork_ had managed to sneak up on him?

"I oughta shoot youz now," snarled the Ork, pointing the weapon at Halea, who immediately froze where she stood watching. "But firs', yer gonna tell I where I can find dem Cha…

_Crunch!_

The beast was abruptly cut off in mid-sentence as some unknown projectile connected with the base of its skull, nearly decapitating it in a deluge of blood and brain matter. Harsh war cries echoed from the trees surrounding the Tau and Eldar, and through his optics, Faer'un could barely make out the heavily armored figures of more Astartes warriors.

While he was somewhat glad for the intervention, he knew that the Marines would consider him as much of an enemy as the Ork. Faer'un turned around, gesturing to Halea to follow him as the crashing sounds of advancing Night Lords grew closer and closer. Bolter fire hissed and snapped around them as they fled, several rounds detonating not two meters from the Fire Warrior's head.

Faer'un felt a sudden sensation of falling, and the forest floor seemed to drop out from underneath them. The mossy ground gave way to blackness with a soft rumbling of earth, sending both the Farseer and the Shas'ui tumbling into the pit.

Finally, he slowed to a stop. Opening his eyes, he saw Halea gracefully floating down through the air, landing in the center of the pit beside him. He had fallen into some kind of deep underground cavern. Standing up and brushing the dirt off his armor, Faer'un glanced around him, and noticing a faint green glow emanating from deeper within the blackness of the cave.

Venturing deeper with Halea behind him, Faer'un strode forth into the cave. The sound of his footsteps echoed in the narrow passage, reverberating through the hollow tunnels like beats on a drum. Finally, the Eldar and the Tau stepped out into a large cavern, lit by an eerie greenish glow.

Lining the massive walls of the chamber were hundreds of oval pods, filled with a thick fluorescent green liquid. Several of them held strange, shadowed beings, floating in suspended animation like specimens in a scientist's laboratory.

Not all the pods were fully intact. A few of them were ripped open, their contents spilled across the cave floor. Cautiously, Faer'un walked to one of the broken pods and peered inside. Lying in a crumpled heap at the bottom of the pod, a massive skeletal figure sat, its skin coated with a light layer of green slime.

The hollow eye sockets seemed to follow the Shas'ui as he moved. Clutched in its skeletal hand was some type of arcane device, one which Faer'un had never seen before.

The Fire Warrior had a distinct feeling that he didn't want to be in here much longer. He strode towards Halea, only to notice the look of excitement and shock on her face.

"Farse…" he began, but was cut off by her psychic outburst.

_So. This is why the Warp-spawn have traveled here. These creatures are older than time itself. They are older than us, older, even, than our foe, the Ygnir._

"Farseer, we should leave," continued Faer'un, his eyes darting from pod to pod in uncertainty. "This cavern…terrible things have taken place here."

_Of course…_ Halea replied, snapping out of her thoughts in an instant. _I apologize for my…inattentiveness._

"What are those?"

_They…I do not know, Blackfyre. A strange race, alien, perhaps. Nothing more._

A suspicious look crossed Faer'un's face. The Eldar was keeping something from him. She had known of the creatures in the pods, but would not reveal their true identity to him.

He didn't exactly favor how familiar he was getting with the Eldar. She might be an ally now, but he remembered the war on Kronus all too well. He had fought Eldar and slain them, battling in the name of the great Shas'o Kais for supremacy of the planet.

He wondered briefly how many Tau the Farseer had killed in her lifetime. Removing those thoughts from his mind, he began searching for a path to the surface. After what seemed like an eternity, they found a tunnel with light pouring through from the other side.

Padding through the tunnel, a comfortable silence enveloped the two. Faer'un liked it this way. They had gotten to the point where no conversation was needed between them. This alarmed and relieved Faer'un at the same time.

When they finally reached the surface after many minutes of traversing the caves, the sun was sinking into the horizon. Faer'un noticed the ground beneath his feet was moist with something, something that oozed through his fatigues and dripped over his hooves like cold dew. As he exited the tree line, he gasped in horror as he took in the scene before him.

The field was soaked in _blood._ Strewn across the field were the bodies of Tau and humans, piles upon piles of bodies. Hundreds of large wooden stakes seemed to pin the gruesome, macabre scene together. The stakes each bore unrecognizable skinned corpses covered in gore and viscera. Puddles of spilled blood, both blue and red, seemed to paint the ground in a sickening landscape of color. The smell…the smell was horrific.

Bits and pieces of Fire Warriors dotted the landscape, armor mixed with flesh in a medley of destruction. Dead cultists lay on the ground with ghoulish grins on their faces. The naked bodies of Tau and humans were piled together across the field.

In the center of the field, a circle of cultists were bowing to a single sorcerer. Walking up to a cultist the sorcerer yanked a cultist's head up by the hair and slit his throat with a curved dagger. The cultist seemed to writhe in ecstasy as he bled out, his form crumbling to the ground as his murderer let him drop from his grasp. The other cultists began to chant, a terrifying sound that chilled Faer'un to the bone.

The sorcerer repeated this with another cultist, causing the others to feverishly increase their tempo of their vocalizations. Faer'un felt a hot rage inside him try to surface, threatening to unleash its violent fury upon the sick, sadistic creatures before him.

Trying to control himself, Faer'un willed himself to stay put. But that was when the final straw came. A pair of cultists appeared leading a line of eleven ragged Fire Warriors. One of the cultists kicked a warrior forward. Falling to his knees in a puddle of viscera and blood the warrior stared up blankly at the sorcerer.

The sorcerer grabbed the warrior's head in one hand and placed the edge of the blade on the front of his head. Slowly, deliberately, he began to literally _saw_ off the warrior's face. The Tau's pained shrieks reached Faer'un but still he willed his restraint.

The final straw came when the Sorcerer lifted up the face flap and rubbed it on his armor, cackling as the cyan blood ran over metal and flesh alike. Halea, already sensing what he was going to do, attempted to restrain him, but to no avail.

Faer'un extended his arm blade with a loud rasp of metal, and unleashed a cry of pain and rage from his throat. The sorcerer and his two lackeys turned to the source of the bellow and prepared to meet the warrior's charge, lowering their weapons to intercept his attack. The other cultists remained chanting, not even paying attention to this new development.

Not bothering with his rifle or his pistols, the Shas'ui met the first cultist head on, shearing straight through the vile creature with a single swipe. Not stopping, he continued to the other cultist, thrusting his blade through the man's face.

His armor dripping with blood, he turned towards the sorcerer, who stared at him, amused, leaning on a large staff.

"Admirable," he muttered, narrowing his eyes into slits. "You have certainly fought well…for a xenos. You might very well have made a fine servant of the Dark Gods, if your race were a little more…developed."

The sorcerer smirked, revealing a set of sharp, yellowed teeth. Faer'un didn't bother making a response, choosing instead to leap through the air, his drawn weapon slashing at the new challenger.

Swinging the armblade in a whistling arc, the Tau cut a wide swipe toward his foe's neck, but the sorcerer parried the blow instantly and brought the blade on his staff across the Fire Warrior's back. Feeling the sharp steel edge biting into his back muscles, Faer'un leapt back, grimacing in pain.

Bringing the stave up for another strike, the sorcerer slashed again at his opponent's chest, feeling the razor edge connecting with the Tau's flesh. Falling to one knee, Faer'un raised his arm blade in time to parry the subsequent attack. Sparks flew as both duelists fought to repel the other, but gradually, the sorcerer's strength began to take its toll on the Shas'ui. He felt his arms beginning to tire, his fingers numbing, his mind going blank…

Gasping in pain, he was sure that this would be the end.

**Phantom 4 Life:** _Sorry for taking so long to update guys. School has been killing me. I heard that one guy and he's right. I haven't been representing the Night Lord's very well. I am going to try incorporate more fear in their fighting. Truly I apologize._

**TheLoneHunter: **Well, this is more directed at P4L than anyone else, but I'm going to go a bit lax on the editing. I think that if you look at what I've done to your four previous chapters, and try to replicate that, then you won't even need me to proofread them.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**Phantom 4 Life: **This chapter is just a lengthy look into Faer'un's mysterious past. With some guest appearances.

_Faer'un looked back at his younger friend and grinned as he pumped his legs faster so as to gain an even larger lead. Seeing that he was getting farther5 behind Faer'un Shi'yon began pumping his arms for increased speed._

_Faer'un sped through the grassy plain with Shi'yon hot on his heels. Faer'un loved the feel of the soft dirt and grass beneath his feet. The cool blades of grass caressed him as he sped past and the 2 suns covered his bare back in warm light._

_Shi'yon was catching up to him now and was getting very close to Faer'un. As Faer'un rounded over a hill he was unprepared for the sudden slant and when he reached the top stumbled a little before Shi'yon came crashing into him sending them both tumbling down the hill._

_Eventually they rolled to a stop and kicked up a small cloud of dirt in their frenzied attempts to untangle._

_Eventually Shi'yon got up and helped Faer'un up. "So who wins Faer'un?" Shi'yon asked unsure of what to make of the end of their little contest._

"_No one won Shi'yon it was a tie…………Which means we'll have to do something else too!" Faer'un exclaimed slamming his fist into his palm._

"_Like what?" Shi'yon asked dubiously._

"_Maybe…………………Kroot and Dra'lk! I'll be the Dra'lk and you'll be the Kroot. You have to try and catch me." _

_Shi'yon hesitated and nodded after a few seconds. Faer'un was the only one he was comfortable playing with. He had few other friends as the other kids only blabbed about their sire or the greater good._

"_Alright stick your face to the ground and count ordna!" Faer'un shouted as he bounded into the tall ocean of grass disappearing from view. Doing as instructed Shi'yon sighed and began counting._

_When the count was finally over he lifted his head and searched the grass with his eyes. He could not see any obvious signs of Faer'un's presence._

_He scanned the grasses again taking note of any irregularities in the spacing of the stalks. He saw several somewhat open areas here and there. He waded into the tall stalks and noticed several broken or bent stalks._

_He followed the general path of the broken stalks until they became too numerous to be accidental. Deciding Faer'un was trying to outsmart him he searched for other signs of his presence._

_He noticed some places were dirt and other small particles were scattered in vaguely round shapes. Looking around he followed the steps and listened carefully._

_He could hear shallow breathing and hands brushing against stalks. He made to turn around then bowled straight into the stalks behind him crashing into Faer'un sending them tumbling._

_They began to pound on each other and wrestle. When they finally separated Faer'un grinned at Shi'yon and proclaimed, "Well done Lone Hunter!"_

_He grabbed Shi'yon's hand and raised it in the air laughing. After a few hours of play they both lay on the grass breathless. Faer'un turned to Shi'yon and asked, "What zaste do you want to join?"_

_Shi'yon wrinkled his forehead in thought and said, "I guess I'd be a part of the Air Caster why do you ask?" _

_Avoiding the question Faer'un responded, "I'd be a Fire Warrior."_

_Shi'yon raised his eyebrow in question and Faer'un seeing this said, "I've always wanted to fight for the greater good like my sire Raer'en."_

_Shi'yon asked, "But being a Fire Warrior is dangerous. I mean Raer'en was slaim in battle wasn't he."_

_Shi'yon then realized what he had said and tried to apologize. "It's okay Shi'yon my sire fought bravely and died in service to the greater good."_

"_Come on let's head back before Re'la begins to worry about us."_

"_Alright Faer'un."_

"_Race you there! Last one there is a Drunok!"_

_The 2 young Tau raced along towards their home laughing all the way. They ran into the town dodging other children and more adults. Faer'un had turned around to poke fun at Shi'yon but ran into someone._

_Turning around to apologize and accept his punishment he blanched when he saw an ethereal Standing over him._

_He immediately go down to the floor and said, "Forgive me wise one!"_

_He waited for the death blow to come he lay still. When he heard a mirthful chuckle he looked up to see the Ethereal laughing._

"_Please young one stand up all this reverence is embarrassing. And don't worry I remember what it was like to be young."_

_Sniffing the air for a second the Ethereal said, "I see someone was fooling with the Drunoks a?"_

_Faer'un's face darkened noticeably at this. "I used to do the very same thing. You come over here," he said gesturing to Shi'yon. Shi'yon hesitated then walked over to Faer'un._

"_Look at these two youths. Such fine young Tau. I am sure you will both make excellent Fire Warriors one day."_

_At hearing this both boys beamed and stood a little straighter. "Yes I can see it now. You two will defend the Tau Empire and the Greater Good valiantly."_

"_You honor us Wise one," Shi'yon said bowing respectfully. Faer'un repeated this and then the two dashed off in yet again another physical competition._

_The Ethereal watched with interest as they disappeared from view._

_So youthful………………………….._

_So strong………………………………._

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Ya sorry it took so long and I'm sorry it's so short but hey what are you going to do.


	7. Chapter 7

**Phantom 4 Life: Yo all dis me and dat Hunter be round 'ere somewhere mon. When I find 'em I'll be letting ju know.**

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The sounds of pounding and faint whispers slowly began to rouse him from his unconscious state.

The dull thud of explosions in the distance reached his ears. Panicked voices also reached him. When his eyes opened he could barely make out any of his surroundings.

Shadows passed in and out of his vision. He struggled to get up but soon found himself losing consciousness yet again.

**Elsewhere on the planet….**

A squad of Khorne Berserkers stood on both sides of a dark and oppressive chamber. At the end of the great chamber a dark being seemed to radiate hatred and rage. A horned helm rested upon this vile creature's head. Its ancient armor was adorned with sickening images of death. The dark chamber with its black stone walls and pillars added to the beast's appearance.

Though even this dark soul was as nothing compared what was waiting outside the main chamber door. All eyes in the room were resting on the door.

The beast that they expected though found surprises humorous. Shadows began detaching from the walls and gathering into a corporeal form. The shadows formed the rough shape of a man.

A tall man stood in the center of the room clad in a long black cloak. Over the cloak he wore a black steel ribcage. On each of his shoulders rested a ghoulish obsidian skull. Upon his forearm rested black bracers. Once in life he was beloved by many a woman for his beautiful face and muscled body. Now one could not mistake the feeling of dread and fear that followed him around.

Whenever he entered a room the temperature would lower a few degrees. His face was all that was visible. Two white cat's eyes shone in the darkness. His white hair was tied in a pony tail, and he had a swarthy complexion and a youthful face.

A pair of black skeletal hands intertwined with one another covered his mouth and nose. The dark figure's cloak ended in long tattered stripes that obscured his feet from view.

The figure at the end of room broke the silence with slow applause and said at last, "An impressive entrance as always, Drakovious, but may I ask why have you deigned to visit me now, old friend_?"_

Upon hearing this Drakovious snorted in disgust. "You presume yourself my friend. Hear me now, Brutus, and know that you are no friend of mine. You are a pitiful worm who had to lie and scheme to get where you are now."

The figure on the other side of the room growled before spiting out, "You had better remember who you are speaking to Drakovious or I might just cut off that barbed tongue of yours. I never thought I'd see a fellow Night Lord absent of courtesy."

Drakovious' eyes widened in rage and his voice thundered across the room, "Vile worm! You have no claim to the title Night Lord! You have long since forsaken the teachings of our master. We are the masters of fear. But you and others have become something else. You have become petty slaves to chaos. Chaos is a means to and ends. Yet it has consumed you and warped your mind and body. Our master warned us of its dangers but you still fell to its thrall. By doing so you have betrayed our master and your life is forfeit."

The other figure sprang from his seat and shouted. _"_Servants of Khorne, show him the power of Chaos!"

Drakovious released a bone-chilling laugh as the Berserkers sprang into action. He extended a finger and a bolt of lightning shot through the chest of the nearest warrior. Another vaulted towards him and with a quick flash of movement two halves were sent flying past Darkovious.

Drakovious, having seen the other guards hesitate, reached into his cloak and snarled, "You have made a grave error, Brutus, but you will not be around long enough to regret it!"

He pulled out his bladed whip _Cold Embrace _and snapped it with a sharp _crack_. The whip constricted around a berserker, shrieking through the air as if a chorus of dying men had cried out from within the weapon's lash. Drakovious gave a sharp tug and the whip sliced through the Berserker's armor and the soft flesh below.

He snapped it back and it wrapped around another man before slicing him into bits.

Another Berserker attempted to charge him, but he caught the Marine by the neck and lifted him into the air, crushing his throat with ease. He let the blood flow onto his snow-white hair, smiling as he turned to his next victim. Tossing aside the broken body he faced the last guard. The Berserker was unsure of himself, but in the end, the dumb animal won out in his mind and he charged at Drakovious.

Drakovious simply ducked under his charge and shot his fist through the man's stomach, lifting him up into the air. He tossed him into the air behind and there was a loud crunching sound as the Berserker's body broke against a stone pillar.

He suddenly felt a meaty fist slam into his chest, sending Drakovious flying into a stone pillar. Brutus stepped forward, panting as he gloated over the fallen Chaos agent.

"Truly you now know the err- Aggh!"

Brutus was cut off as his right arm flew off and his legs were sliced off at the knee. Rising upright, whip in hand, Drakovious felt only disgust at the sight of such a pathetic creature_. _The vile beast stared up at him with fear in its eyes.

"Now watch a true Night Lord in action."

With that he ripped off Brutus' helm and stuck and index finger in each eye, puncturing through. He literally pulled his head apart.

Brutus' pained screams faded as he died.

Drakovious turned to some old worn painting in the room. He knelt before it and prayed to his dark master.

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**P4L: Just a little character intro. Drakovious is one bad ass muthaphukka. Nah just kidding his bark is worse than his bite!**

**Temperature in the room drops a few degrees.**

**P4L: Did it just get colder?**

**Drakovious: You were saying something about me peon?**

**P4L:*Gulp* It was Hunter! *Points at TLH and runs away***

**TLH: Traitor! I proofread your chapters and this is the thanks I get?**

**Drakovious: It seems you must suffer in his place!**

**TLH: Actually, I don't want to. *pulls out a taser***

***5 minutes later, TLH is gone and Drakovious is unconscious***


End file.
